Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholder, George Turner, has accused the current leadership of the party of losing control and failing to provide direction as the party prepares for its forthcoming national convention.
Speaking in an interview with Arise News on Friday, Turner described leadership failure as the PDP’s “biggest challenge,” claiming that internal crises, impunity, and disregard for due process continued to undermine the party’s unity and credibility.
His words: “It is really sad because that is where our problem and our challenge as a party really is leadership.
”They have failed. And I say this without apologies to anyone. The current leadership of our party completely, they have lost it,” Turner said.
The stakeholder criticised the ongoing convention preparations, noting that several issues were sub judice and currently before the courts.
He also alleged that some party leaders were flouting court orders while making announcements, screening aspirants, and adopting chairmanship candidates.
According to him, “For the convention, a bit of the issues you touched on are sub judice, issues that are before the court.
”And I will not go into discussing the facts of issues already before the court, even though the defendants in that suit are already flouting the court orders for parties to maintain status quo,” Turner said.
Turner further alleged that aspiring leaders were being sidelined, with nomination and expression of interest forms unavailable to some candidates.
“I have gone to Wadata Plaza on countless occasions to buy nomination and expression of interest forms.
”There are no forms. One of the days I went there, I saw a very sound guy who wants to be public secretary of this party.
”He does not have the privilege to buy forms,” he said.
He also criticised the handling of zoning arrangements, accusing some leaders of ignoring resolutions by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
“The party adopted the report on zoning, which said status quo will be maintained between the north and the south as per zoning in our 2022 convention.
”Now all the offices in the North are supposed to remain in the north. All the offices in the south are supposed to remain in the south.
”These guys, you know, they just create problems everywhere,” Turner said.
Turner alleged that certain groups violated internal agreements by printing and distributing nomination forms selectively.
“If I go to my state, Bayelsa, I hear that my friend and brother, the current national secretary, they have printed one form and given it to him for deputy national chairman. Only him, only one form,” he added.
He also accused Northern leaders of micro-zoning positions without proper consultation, stressing that leadership required discipline and the ability to set aside personal interests for party cohesion.
On the credibility of the convention, Turner expressed doubts over transparency, noting that members were being deprived of participation.
“If I am not allowed to participate, I have a right of participation. During conventions like this, people come, the secretariat is busy, drums are beating, and people are mobilised. Have you seen any of that this time?” he asked.
Turner challenged the PDP to publish financial statements and a list of aspirants to demonstrate transparency in the process.
“I challenge the party to publish our statement of accounts to show aspirants where they paid in their nomination monies to purchase nomination and expression of interest forms.
”And they should publish the list of aspirants,” he said.
He reaffirmed that the PDP’s troubles stem from poor leadership and lack of accountability.
“Leadership failure. Asawana, yes, in the PDP,” Turner said.
